Vegan Pineapple Tarts

My introduction to pineapple jam tarts came during my teaching stint in Kuala Pilah, a small town in Malaysia. A student's mother used to supply melt-in-the-mouth jam tarts, which everyone in the staff room purchased to get their regular fix. I was hooked on it, of course. Alas, I was in Kuala Pilah for only one year as I moved to another teaching stint in Gemas the following year. And with it, my days of melt-in-the-mouth jam tarts ended.

Over the years, I yearned for those cookies and tried many recipes in cook books and newspapers. Sadly, none produced the same or even similar taste to those cookies etched in my memory. After much searching, and trial and error, I finally stumbled upon one recipe in a cook book that was acceptable to my family (and me, of course).

I have been making these pineapple jam tarts ever since, with some variation to the original recipe, and have never failed to amaze friends and neighbours who visited my home during festive seasons. Many have requested for the recipe, so here it is; I am sharing my recipe for all to try!

The best part of this cookie is its pineapple shape, which is quite easy to produce with a small, sharp pair of scissors. Don't forget to brush the cookies with a soy wash before baking to give them a nice brownish colour. And the jam should be home-made to give it the absolutely amazing flavour. Come to think of it, the secret is actually in the jam!